Crossed Hearts and Lost Stars
by October Callow
Summary: JerZa fanfiction :)
1. Prologue - Run

She ran and ran, tripping and falling in her attempt to run away. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she batted away the thorny bushes scraping her arms. In her mind, she kept telling herself she could escape, but deep in her heart, she knew there was never an escape. There was never any hope once something like this had happened.

"You think running away will help? There is never an escape!"

The blue-haired boy cackled, his red-threaded eyes gleaming in the late evening darkness.

"Run, Scarlet. While you still can!"

She clenched her fists at the nickname he had given her. Tears threatened to spill at any moment, nearly causing her to lose footing once more. The trees loomed up in front of her and on all sides, taunting her and grabbing at her thin blue robe. The more she ran, the more terrified she became. At long last, she broke out of the woods and onto the beach. Standing there under the moonlight, sides heaving, she let the tears fall and cried out to the stars.

"Help... me..."

As she sagged onto the sand, the boy smirked, tucking away a memory of the shock of red hair on the pristine white beach. He turned away, and faded into the shadows.


	2. Chapter One - One Last Time

The girl stood at the edge of the woods, red hair streaming out in the wind. For a moment, it seemed she would never move. The wind whipped furiously around her, but she remained still. Her thoughts wandered back to the day, back when he had left her for dead. His image haunted her, kept her awake some nights.

"Jellal..." She whispered into the wind.

Sighing, Erza requipped into her usual Heart Kreuz armor and forced a smile onto her face as she approached the guild. Gray, shirtless as usual, glanced at her before returning to his bicker with Natsu.

"Natsu, I know I'm stronger than you."

"Liar, icy freak!"

Erza stopped, looking at them with an amused grin slowly spreading across her face. Gray felt her gaze, and slid his eyes over to check on his suspicions. Moments after, Natsu stopped talking long enough to notice who exactly Gray was staring at.

"Oh, Erza! Didn't see you! Gray and I are best friends, aren't we, ice buddy?"

He happily grabbed Gray's hand, laughing and making merry. Erza shook her head, leaving it be. She knew the truth, and it wasn't about to change. Of course, there was one truth that would always be a mystery to her, a truth that involved a certain young man with blue hair.

"Erza."

A vaguely familiar voice spoke her name, and she turned to see who it was. Oddly enough, no one was there. Another time, the voice said her name, and again she saw no one there. Gritting her teeth and shaking her head to clear it, she stormed into the guild with less of an effort to look happy.

"Erza, no need to break the guild down."

"Sorry, Master. I just have things... on my mind."

The minute man just opened one eye lazily at her and muttered something. She smiled sadly, tearing a sheet from the job board and breezing out of the guild hall. A quick requip switched her to the simpler Robes of Yuen, a more flexible fit. Once outside though, she bumped into someone hurrying to get inside the guild, noting that it was a familiar someone.

"Erza!"

"J-jellal." She reeled.

He noticed the tone of her voice, and his face fell. A quick sigh, and he was pulling her into the shadows of the woods. She followed, but only from a loss of words and surprise at his sudden appearance.

"Jellal, what are you-?"

"Shush. Just follow me."

She somewhat angrily shut her mouth, but made up her mind to ask him every question as soon as they stopped. Once in the safety and comfort of the trees, Jellal stopped and caught his breath, allowing Erza the opportunity to do the same.

"Erza, I have news."

"Yes, and explaining to do. Last time I saw you, the military was taking you to prison."

"About that... I was broken out by some... friends."

"And they would be?"

Erza glared at him, making him drop his gaze.

"Ultear and Meredy." He admitted sadly.

"W-what?!"

"It's true. We did, but for what we hope is a good enough reason."

Erza said nothing, only raising an eyebrow skeptically. Although her heart ached at every mention of Jellal's name, her law abiding side was protesting this latest act.

"We, the three of us, decided to form a guild to find and eliminate dark guilds in Fiore. It is a way to partially make up for our sins in the past."

Ultear met her fiery gaze coolly, and waited for her reaction. Erza chewed on her lip, mulling over the prospect of the new independent guild. It seemed like a good idea, yet there was something else bothering her.

"Alright, you made a guild. But why tell only me?"

"Because," Jellal looked up from his seated position on a fallen log. "I have regained my memories."

At this, the red-haired mage let a small gasp escape her lips. His memories of all of the things he had done to her, all of the things he had gone through with her...

"But I thought-"

"I know, but at the time I didn't realize that not all of my memories had come back. When I regained the second half of my memories, I remembered the first time I had met you. Your bright hair, Scarlet."

"Jellal, I..."

"I remembered how we always stuck up for each other, and then I remembered that day I sent you away."

A forlorn look entered his eyes, and Erza closed her eyes. This news was troubling indeed, but in a different way from anything else on her mind. The feelings she had buried resurfaced, and a tear formed at the corner of her eye. Unknown to the two of them, Ultear had led Meredy away, giving them privacy and intimacy.

"Erza, don't cry. Please, I'll find a way to make things work."

"That's what you said at the tower, idiot. I was a fool to trust you then, and I would be a fool to trust you now."

As she said those words, she instantly knew they were false. Instinct told her that Jellal was dangerous, but her heart was telling her Jellal was safe, a haven for her love. But was it actually love? More tears brimmed on her lashes, having no chance to fall, for Jellal wiped them away.

"I know I made mistakes and messed up really bad, but can you forgive me one last time? Just one more time, I promise."

She couldn't say anything through the sobs that shook her body. Jellal waited, and she slowly began calming her grief. He cautiously embraced her, folding her slight frame into his arms.

"Please?" He tried one more time.

"One last time, you fool. After that..."

"I know. I'm sorry, Erza. I'll make it good this time."

The two of them stood there, hugging, until she finally broke away, averting her gaze.

"I understand if you never want to speak to me again. No hard feelings."

She nodded, but didn't confirm or deny his theories. A last shuddering sigh pierced the lonely silence between them, and she walked slowly out of the woods.


	3. Chapter Two - Follow Your Heart

"Erza, can I talk to you?"

"Of course, Master."

He beckoned, and she followed him to the back staircase and up to the S-Class floor. With so few S-Class mages, the second floor usually was empty, and in fact was empty now. The Master sat on a table, folding in arms in his usual way.

"You seem distracted lately."

Erza chuckled wryly, then sighed. Staring nervously at the floor between her toes, she searched for the words.

"I understand if you can't say it, brat."

"Thank you, Master. The thing is, there is someone who I have feelings for, and I can't tell him because it will ruin our relationship even more. At the same time, I can't help but wonder if the feelings he seems to have towards me are real or not."

"I'm going to tell you to just follow your heart. That's all I can say on these types of things. After all, everyone is different."

"Of course. Thank you, Master."

"Hmm. Now go on a mission. We need to pay for what those two troublemakers have gone and done again."

"Aye."

Erza laughed softly, picturing Natsu running through a town screaming for everyone to come and fight him, or Gray trying to freeze Natsu into an ice cube. Her amusement quickly faded into irritation when she soon realized the consequences this would have on the guild.

"I have to whip them up when they return." She muttered.

"Erza, are you okay? You look a bit, um, what's the word? Oh, right. Annoyed."

"In fact, Lucy, I am. Natsu and Gray have done it again. They've destroyed a town and called upon us to pay for it."

"I know. I was there." The blonde mage seemed to shrink.

"I guess you got it worse, then."

"Yes, I got it head on."

Lucy grimaced, but walked over to the job board anyways.

"Erza, have you seen any good job offers lately? They all seem to be too danger-inviting for our team..." She trailed off, expecting that Erza would understand.

"I know what you mean. Fortunately, I have one that shouldn't be too much trouble, although we can never tell."

"Okay, let's go then!"

The two ladies visited Mirajane to check in, then set off on the journey to the nearby town of Clover on the train. They settled in their seats, waiting for the engineer to start their ride. Erza remained lost in her thoughts, and Lucy left her to it, brainstorming ideas for her novel.

Jellal came filtering back into her thoughts again. She tried not to think about him, but the more she tried, the less she could avoid him. There was one thing he had said that didn't sit quite right with her. He had told her he only needed forgiveness one last time. So did that mean he was going to...? That was too depressing to think about, so she directed her thoughts elsewhere. Maybe things weren't as morbid as they seemed, but when dealing with Jellal, she could never be sure.

"Follow my heart, eh Master?" She whispered to herself.

Jellal, still sitting on the tree long after Erza had left, folded his hands, deep in thought. What he was planning would put her out of danger from being involved with him, yet at the same time, misgivings were racing through his mind every minute. He knew that he would be keeping out of harm's way, but she would be devastated. Or would she? It was hard to tell with a woman like her.

"Jellal, don't be too hard on yourself yet." Ultear whispered.

"I know. I can't help it though."

"Well, if it helps any, I think she respects our decisions enough to see the logic in it."

"Thanks Meredy."

You don't have any idea. He thought.

And it was true. They didn't even know what he was planning, and they were offering advice to him. All the same, he apreciated the sensitivity they were showing. It seemed that having two female partners would be beneficial in these matters.

"Personally, I wouldn't tink too much over these matters." Ultear gave him a half-smile.

"We need you to help us still, Jellal."

"I know. Sorry."

Putting all thoughts of his red-haired angel out of his mind, he stood, brushing off his cloak, and strode resolutely out of the woods, leaving his partners to follow him.

"That's the Jellal I know."

As he walked, he focused on their next plan of action. After this last mission, it would be time for him to put his final devices into place. At the moment, his mission involved the wipeout of a minor Dark guild called Coyote Fang. Obselete and unknown besides to the villagers around that area, they had caused minor amounts of irritation in the far corners of the kingdom; not enough to make a fuss, but enough to drive people mad.

"According to my notes, the guild should be in a heavily wooded area just outside Onibus. We can take the train."

"Alright."

Throwing the hoods of their cloakc over their heads, the trio slipped in and out of the trees to make their way to the station. Jellal kept his face well hidden, for it was no secret that he was a wanted criminal and it would not do to have him captured at this rate. It came time to board, but he let Ultear lead to maintain an air of privacy for himself. Once inside the train doors, they found a compartment and ducked in. Now, Jellal felt it was somewhat safe to remove the hood, but kept a wary eye out for nosy passengers.

"So, do we proceed as usual?"

"Yes." Jellal answered.

"Then disappear after?"

"Yes."

Jellal smiled a small smile, staring out the window. Ultear looked curiously at him, studying his expression.

"What are you planning after this, Jellal?"

"I-I don't know."

He sighed, dropping his gaze, and closed his eyes. How could he explain?

"Are you thinking of... kil-"

"Do not say it out loud."

His head snapped up, and he glared sharply into the small girl's eyes. A small shake of his head further enforced his point, and Meredy nodded.

"Honestly, I think it's appropriate. I hope to die within the next few weeks, to spare Erza the pain of having to deal with me."

"Fool!" Ultear exclaimed in a choked whisper. "Do you not realize that by dying you cause more pain that you save her?"

Her tone made him falter, and his eyes widened a fraction. His heart skipped a beat as he realized the truth in her words. Yet, why did he feel that death was the smartest choice for him?

"I don't- how do I do this? There is nothing else I can do."

"Then at least hope to live. Never, ever hope to die." Her expression softened. "Meredy and I will support you the whole way."


	4. Chapter Three - Promise Me

"Hey, Erza, isn't that Jellal?"

"What?"

The mage looked up, startled and suddenly very panicked. Looking madly around the train compartments immediately in their area, Erza whipped her gaze back to her blonde partner.

"Where?"

"Just over there."

She looked in the direction Lucy was pointing, and drew in a sudden breath. As her partner had noted, a blue haired mage with an intricate red tattoo around his right eye was in deep conversation with two other women. Erza hurriedly turned back to her own table.

"It is him." She muttered.

"Um, is everything alright?"

A flush of pink rose to her cheeks as she contemplated the possible ways to answer that question, but before she could, she heard a quick gasp from the seat she had just been observing. Straining to hear she held a breath.

"Is that who I think it is?"

"Well, considering the shade of red her hair is, I doubt there is any other person it could be."

At this point Erza was blushing madly, and Lucy stared helplessly.

"This can't be good." She whispered.

"Erza."

Jellal deliberately called to her loud enough to hear but soft enough not to distract anyone else. Erza froze, forcing her face to remain calm and passive. She cautiously turned, and looked curiously at Jellal.

"What?"

"Ca-can I have a word with you?"

"Sure." She cursed under her breath, but stood anyways.

"Thank you."

She slid into the seat next to him, not knowing what to expect. Waiting while he took a deep breath, she carefully requipped into everyday clothes.

"I didn't expect to see you on this train."

"Neither did I, truthfully."

"I'm going to apologize in advance, Erza."

"Why?" Now she was worried.

"Red, like roses." He breathed.

"Jellal, what is this all about?"

"Erza, maybe I should kill myself." He whispered, meeting her gaze.

"What?"

"All this trouble, it's my fault. If I disappear, then everything would be perfect for you."

"No, it wouldn't!" She exclaimed.

"Yes, I thought you would say that." He smiled sadly.

"Jellal, you idiot. If you want to make me happy and atone for your sins, then live on and make the world better! Didn't you and the other two form a guild for that purpose?"

"E-erza..."

"I mean it, Jellal." Her voice dropped. "There are people that would hate to see you gone, and there are people who value your life. You should too."

"Um-"

"No rash actions. Do I have your word?"

Jellal looked at her, and saw a fierce determination to keep him alive. Red like roses, blue like water. The colors clashed in front of his eyes, and he nodded.

"You have my word."

"Jellal..."

She relaxed, letting out the breath she had been subconsciously holding. Her head fell onto his shoulder, surprising him. A moment passed before he thought to put an arm around her shoulder and squeeze it in a comforting gesture.

"Erza, I-"

The train suddenly jolted, then stopped. A second later, the door burst open and three men in black bodysuits jumped in.

"We are the... JIGGLE BUTT GANG!"

She stared, heart sinking, as the three bandits rounded up the passengers into a corner.

"Hey! You slow-pokes! Get in the corner." One of them screeched.

"Who are you calling slow?" Erza fumed.

Her hand slammed on the table as she requipped into her Lightning Empress armor. The staff crackled, and as she stepped towards the leader of the Gang, the man found himself smirking.

"Sparks can't hurt me! Sparks are just half-"

Before he could finish, she had swung at him, knocking him out and effecively swiping the other two out of the way. The passengers, terrified of this girl, cowereed in the corner, staring wide-eyed at her. Erza calmed down, and requippd back into normal clothes.

"Sorry. I lost a bit of control."

Turning back around, she saw Jellal smirking, and raised an eyebrow. He chuckled once or twice, and leaned back in his seat.

"You know how to impress me."

"Flattery." She muttered.

"Requip magic. Volatile personality. Is this the legendary Titania I have heard tales of?"

"Who are you?"

"Well, I'm just a rogue mage who has been wandering these parts. I use Requip also, just the male armor forms."

"That doesn't answwer my question. Who are you?"

"Kieral Evaniss."

"Affiliation."

"None at the moment."

"At the moment?" Erza glared.

"I've been invited to three guilds, one being Fairy Tail, and it is quite tempting. Although I have to say, some of your guildmates are less than mature these days."

"Yes, that is true."

Erza cursed quietly, and blew a stray hair from her face.

"What is your business here?"

"I came to tell you somethingr."

She raised an eyebrow, but let him whisper something in his ear. Her eyes slowly widened, and she slowly sucked in a long breath.

"I will see about that." She muttered darkly.

"Secrets, secrets."

Erza glanced pointedly at Jellal, telling him to keep his mouth shut, then turned to Kieral.

"Thank you. Would you like to join Fairy Tail?"

"Why not."

"Welcome to the guild." She smiled.

"Thank you. I had better go tell Makarov, then."

He lightly jumped out of the train car, requipping into Black Wing Armor and flying off. She watched him, shaking her head slightly.

"That boy..."

Jellal stood, taking her hand. A shiver involuntarily ran down her back, causing Jellal to smile a bit, but he stepped up to the civilians.

"Where were you all headed?"

Many muttered replies came in response, and Erza swore under her breath. The people, it seems didn't want help from any mages.

"We don't need help." Someone confirmed her thoughts.

"Fine. Let's go, Jellal."

She pulled him off the train and requipped into Flight Armor, hovering over the ground. Jellal looked up, and smiled at the cat ears.

"Erza."

"Yes?"

"I- I hope you are happy."

She paused mid-flight.

"I am."

"Good. I'll make it stay that way. I promise."

"Hurry up, Jellal." She called back to him.

Setting a course for Magnolia, she flew, stopping briefly along the way to eat cake. All in all, an uneventful trip until she spotted the Fairy Tail guild hall. There, a crowd was gathered in front of the doors, waving their arms.

"What...?"

She touched down, requipped and approached, pushing through the crowd in time to see Kieral being beat with a club.

"What is the meaning of this?" She snapped.

"He's a filthy lying piece of trash."

"Explain."

"He tried to get into Fairy Tail, but too bad we all saw through it. This is the criminal we've been hearing about on the news."

"Actually, if you all heard the latest broadcast, the criminal was safely locked up in prison, and has a guard on duty at all times. Just like all other criminals."

"How do you know?" Someone challenged.

"Because I have relations."

She helped Kieral up, then sent him inside.

"Leave. Every one of you."


	5. Chapter Four - Never Say Die

Muttering under her breath, Erza shooed the crowd away and closed the guild doors. Kieral was bundled into the infirmary, and Polyersica looked him over.

"I'm fine, I promise." He protested.

"Let me make sure."

After a short struggle, he gave up and let her inspect his bruises, deeming them harmless after not more than a couple minutes. Shrugging, he left the tiny room and sat at one of the tables in the main hall.

"Sorry about that. My guildmates are very suspicious right now, and they don't really have much trust in anyone."

"That's alright. I'm used to it."

He grinned ruefully, rubbing one eye. Kieral wasn't lying. For the past few weeks, he'd been repeatedly mistaken for one of the common criminals that had escaped from prison, and there had been many misunderstandings.

"Erza!"

She raised an eyebrow, turning to see Lucy running around, Natsu and Gray being dragged along behind. Groaning, Erza put a hand to her forehead.

"Not again." she muttered.

"I can take care of it." A voice piped up.

"Oh? Thanks, Mira."

"No problem. Besides, I think someone is waiting for you."

Mirajane gestured casually toward Jellal, who was leaning against one of the trees behind Fairy Tail Guild. Erza's heart gave a flutter, but she kept her composure and nodded to Mira.

"Thanks. I'll go talk with him."

Jellal looked up as she approached, and gave her a quick smile.

"What do you want?" She asked.

"I need a favor. Can we walk?"

She nodded, and started off along the trail deeper into the forest.

"My favor, it is an interesting one. I'm wondering if you actually will accept or not." He smiled ruefully.

"Does it benefit Magnolia?"

"Of course it does. It's just a bit, how do you say it? Reckless."

"Just tell me." She sighed quickly.

"Brace yourself. You may want to sit."

At this, Erza narrowed her eyes. If it was that bad, it was highly possible that she would not approve. Still, she sat, willing to hear him out.

"Continue."

"Okay. I have set up a battle. Fairy Tail against me. But only you will fight me."

"Are you mad?"

"It's the only way to resolve this, Erza." He gave her a sad smile. "And I won't have to pretend to be helpless. If you prefer, we could end this now. You have sets of armor at your disposal, I'm right here."

"No. You are not dying while I can help it."

"You love me that much, Erza?" Jellal whispered.

Her blush gave it away, and Jellal chuckled.

"Erza, I have to say, it would be an honor to die at the hand of your Purgatory armor. It certainly would fit, wouldn't it? Best of all, I would die with you as the last thing I see."

"I told you, I won't let you die!"

Her vision blurred as tears formed in her eyes. An angry blush burned in Erza's cheeks as she stood up and took Jellal by the shirt collar.

"Why won't you understand? I don't want you to die! If you think this will benefit anyone, it won't. If you want to benefit Magnolia, go out there with your guild and get rid of the terrors that plague Fiore. Don't sit around moping about you and your elaborate death schemes."

Jellal couldn't meet her gaze, but he nodded. He seemed to be one of the few people able to handle her fiery temper, and this gave him a very perceptive view of her ideas.

"Very well. I see your point." He conceded.

"Good. I never want to hear of this again."

Erza stalked out of the woods with Jellal close behind. Her fury slowly faded as she walked, and eventually her footsteps slowed to match Jellal's. Their arms brushed, sending a shiver down her spine, but Erza made no move to show that she had noticed.

"Erza, the sky is so pretty today."

"Hm, yes it is." She glanced curiously at him.

"Have you noticed that there is one more beautiful thing here also?"

"The clouds?" She was really confused now.

"No, silly. It's something really close to me."

"The trees?"

"Keep guessing."

Erza sighed, thinking. Her mind wandered for a while, but she couldn't come up with anything. Every once in a while, her gaze would slide over to Jellal, and every time, he would have a small half-sile on his face, as if there was a joke she wasn't getting. Frustrated, she frowned and thought more.

"Erza, look at me."

She did.

"Look into my eyes, and tell me what you see."

"My reflection."

"That, Erza, is the most beautiful thing here, and she's all mine."

Erza's eyes widened by the slimmest fraction, and she stopped walking. The leaves swirled around them, red and blue mixing until it was all just a whirl of colors, and in the middle of it, those words, the three words that stopped time for just one second. She's all mine.

"Jellal-"

"Erza, I never denied that I've done wrong things, bu now you've given me reason to continue living and make up for my mistakes. I hope you can forgive me for the things I said back there."

"Jellal, I don't know what-" She trailed off once more.

"It's okay. I know."

He took her hand, and slipped a bracelet around her wrist. A charm bracelet. One charm hung on it, a small golden heart with an "E" carved into the metal. She leaned against him, feeling a bit overwhelmed suddenly, and he hugged her back. One happy tear slid down her cheek, and Jellal wiped it away.

"Is this happy, or was it something I did again?" He asked gently.

"It's definitely happy. Happy." She answered.

Looking up at Jellal, Erza felt butterflies springing into life, and as the forest got very very quiet, she became aware of Jellal leaning his head forward to hers, resting them together. She closed her eyes, relaxing, and suddenly everything was okay. All of her troubles disappeared for the momentm, and she was free.

Opening one eye a crack, Erza saw Jellal smile, felt him wrap his arms around her waist and lift her up slightly. Panic stated building as she realized what he was going to do, and she tried to relax, go with it. Taking slow breaths, she got it under control. One last moment passed, and Jellal pressed his lips to hers.


End file.
